#####

Luhan listened to the man snicker before another pair of footsteps hurried their way.

“Did you find him?”

“Caught a free show,” the man said nodding his head toward them. “Ah…and in a fitting room.”

He felt Namjoo’s head slightly tilt back when he kissed her again. She suddenly held his arm and dug her nails into his skin.

“Stop wasting your time,” the other man scolded then walked away.

There was another chuckle before the curtain closed. A long second went by with that lip in his mouth before he finally withdrew a second later. His elbow brushed against her arm and he could hear his breath pouncing off her as he glanced into her face for some kind of reaction.

“Get off me,” Namjoo demanded shoving him off.

Luhan almost tripped a step back. She shot him a glare before walking out. Biting his bottom lip he let out a loud sigh before spinning around to follow her. If he hadn’t created some kind of scene; those men would have interrogated them both or worst yet, cause a ruckus.

Namjoo was already scurrying down the hallway with heavy footsteps. He could sense she was no longer in a good mood.

“Namjoo,” he tried to reach out for her arm, but sensing his movement she spun around to slap his hand loudly. A few shoppers nearby turned to stare at them before slowly moving on with what they were doing.

Luhan felt his hand sting from the hit before she raised her voice, “Can’t I shop in peace, for goodness’ sake!? I’d be so much happier if you didn’t come out! Just go away! I don’t need you to protect me!”

An angry frown came across her face before she shouted, “Go!”

She shot him a harsh stare before pivoting to walk away. He watched her make her way through the crowd before turning around the corner. A flustered sigh left him before slowly walking down the hallway.

Come to think of it; he and Namjoo always had a stable relationship. Their sense of understanding each other always kept them going strong. He could still remember back hugging her and rubbing her large belly when she’d been pregnant in front of the window. Watching the night view of the city had always been a favorite for them.

“Oh!” he would gasp. “She kicked!” Then another gasp. “She did it again! Did you feel it?”

Namjoo would chuckle, “Of course, whose stomach do you think she’s kicking?”

Leaning forward to rest his chin on her shoulder he would sway her in his arms, “Obviously not mine.” Then he would smile and laugh, “Who do you think she’ll look like?”

“Me.”

“No, me.”

“Twenty bucks it’ll be me.”

“Thirty bucks it’s me.”

Namjoo turned to look at him before turning away to snort.

“Ah…the stars are pretty tonight...”

Luhan watched a pair of girls walk by in giggles. He was sitting outside on a bench by the escalator they’d taken earlier. The weight of the sun felt like it was burning his shoulders off, but he didn’t want to leave yet. Since they came together they might as well leave together.

At one point in their relationship; he thought he cared more about them being together than Namjoo did. Always being strong and independent was her thing. When their job forced them apart he would always wait anxiously for her to answer his calls or reply to his e-mails. Namjoo acted so cool about it he didn’t think she looked forward to hearing from him as much as he her.

Then he recalled that hostage incident where a bomb went off and how he’d been unable to reach Namjoo the entire day. The thought that she was dead terrified him absolutely. Luhan had never wanted to lose her, but he lost her in the end anyway.

When Namjoo gave up her job for Mi Yun, he was relieved. He always thought being a tactical agent took much out of her than she really admitted. Then when Namjoo got pregnant he was really happy. Being a father sounded exciting and he always looked forward to the upcoming days.

He knew he wasn’t able to keep his part of the deal; being a father and being there for their daughter. He knew Namjoo resented the fact that he let work take so much of his time, but he was also angry she didn’t keep her end of the string; supporting him and listening to his stresses. Instead she lashed out at him about how he saw his career as more important than their daughter, then one argument led to another.

Miscommunication also played the bigger part in their divorce. They no longer listened to the other, so he often took to work as a route of escape from the never ending tension Namjoo gave him. Luhan was still angry with her for how she let ‘them’ go so easily, but he didn’t feel like talking it out with her. Namjoo wouldn’t listen, she was too hardheaded.

Flipping his wallet open he stared at the picture of Namjoo holding Mi Yun in her arms. He’d taken it the first time they took his daughter swimming to the pool. They’d been a blissful family then.     

Closing his wallet he stared into the street. It’d been a long time since he’d been as close to Namjoo as he was now. Every time he stopped by her new place he would only stand by the door while waiting for her to bring a bag of Mi Yun’s clothes to him. They’d do the common chat about work then he’d leave.

Luhan would watch Namjoo bend down to hug Mi Yun, kiss her, and bid her farewell before closing the door. Even if he could no longer stand Namjoo and her ways, he still did care about her well-being. He’d walked himself into suicide by coming to Bangkok, but Namjoo was walking herself into danger blindly. If anything happened to her, he didn’t know what he’d do, and he didn’t want to think about Mi Yun becoming mother-less.

#####

Namjoo stopped in the hallway with her shopping bags and the new phone she’d just purchased. She glanced at the phone card with prepaid minutes she bought and glanced over the directions confused. Unable to decipher the directions she pulled out the piece of paper Sungjae handed her yesterday.

After a few seconds she heard him answer his phone, “Hello?”

“Hi,” she started, “uh…it’s me, Namjoo. You remember me, right?”

“Oh yes, hi! Did you find a place to stay? Is everything all right?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “actually, I have a question. Do you know how to use a phone card? I need to make some phone calls back home.”

“Yes, I can help you with that,” he agreed, “but my schedule doesn’t end until late. Why don’t we meet tomorrow morning around 8?”

“8?” Namjoo repeated. “That’s fine. I’ll come out to your hotel.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Thank you.”

After Namjoo hung up she turned to glance around wondering how to get out of the mall.

Almost half an hour passed by before she finally felt the sun beaming down on her. By then she was already feeling sweaty and hungry. Browsing around she spotted Luhan looking at some children’s toys on display.

Waiting for a couple to walk by she lugged her bags after her and leaned to the side to glance at the doll on display. For sure Mi Yun would like it, she thought.    

“Still here?” she glanced at Luhan.

He glanced at the bags in her hand and commented, “Why don’t you just buy the whole mall?”

Namjoo rolled her eyes and turned around to walk away.

“Why don’t you return to Seoul?” Luhan questioned behind her. “You being here will only create more trouble. Since you’ve already came to inform me all you know, you’re done here.”

“What? You think I’m on a job or something?” Namjoo halted and turned to look at him. “You don’t actually believe I’ll listen to you, do you?”

Luhan stared at her with eyes full of contempt. He eventually turned away and brushed pass as he started down the street. Namjoo refrained from rolling her eyes and followed.

#####

Honestly, Luhan didn’t think he and Namjoo would ever come as close to being friends again. He could sense so much bitter tension between them when they returned to the ghostly hotel. They didn’t even have a proper conversation before turning the lights off that night.

When he awoke the next morning Namjoo was already up and ready to go. He watched the end of her blue dress spin around her knees as she moved back and forth from her backpack to her shopping bags. As if feeling his stare on her she turned to look at him.

“Are you heading out later?” Namjoo questioned turning away.

“No.”

“I’m heading out. I’ll be back.”

“Where to?”

She turned to shoot him a glance then spun away as she slipped into her sandals.

“Well I’ll be back.”

His eyes followed her to the door until he heard the door open and close. With a quiet sigh he lay back down pulling the blanket over his head.

#####

Sungjae was waiting for her in front of the golden hotel building with a large white water fountain in the front yard. He smiled toward her when she arrived.

“Hi,” she greeted before handing him the phone card. “You think you can do it?”

Namjoo stared into his face as he overlooked the directions then nodded, “Yea, give me your phone.”

She handed him her phone and waited as he dialed a few numbers and pressed the phone to his ear. After a few minutes he handed the phone to her with a successful smile.

“You can make the call any time,” he explained, “just remember to dial in the digits on the back of the card before you do so. Are you calling your family?”

Namjoo looked at him then smiled, “Ah…yes.”

“That’s nice.”

She nodded and looked around before turning back to him, “You have a schedule today?”

“Mmm…” he nodded. “Why don’t you join us sometime? I’ll give you a discount.”

“I’ll think about it.” She replied glad to hear the offer.

“It’ll be fun, we’re going to the zoo next time, come along,” he urged.

Namjoo let out a small laugh.

“Let me know when you’re done. I can give you a lift back to your hotel.”

“Actually, that’s ok. I can find my way back.”

“My schedule doesn’t start until 10. I have time to waste.” He smiled. “Are you going to call home now?”

Namjoo nodded.

“Then I’ll wait over there,” he pointed back toward a white handmade bench before walking away.

She made sure he was out of sight before dialing home to her parents. Her mother answered after a few rings.

“Namjoo! Finally, I’ve been waiting to hear from you. Did you get there all right?”

“It’s all right, mom,” she assured.

“Your father and I have been so worried! Mi Yun said you went to look for Luhan. What are you thinking!?”

Pressing her lips together she turned to eye an overgrowing bush nearby in need of a trim.

“Why don’t you just let him deal with his own problems! What can you solve for him anyway?!” her mother interrogated. “Just come back home. Forget him.”

“Mom, it’s not like that,” Namjoo tried.

“He doesn’t need you. This past year he hasn’t even kept his promises to Mi Yun; what can he do for you now? Don’t waste your time there and come home right now.”  

Namjoo heaved a sigh, “He has his own reasons, ok? Can I talk to Mi Yun?”

“Think about it,” her mother said before her daughter’s excited voice came on.

“Mommy!”

“Hi, Mi Yun.” Namjoo smiled into the phone, her heart melting at her daughter’s voice.

“Mommy, I went fishing yesterday. I caught a biiiig fish! This big!”

Namjoo giggled at her daughter’s excitement, “You went fishing? Aren’t you scared of the water?”

“Mommy, mommy! Grandpa said you fish bad. I teach you when you come home.”

She warmly laughed into the phone, “Will you?”

“Mommy, found daddy?”

“Yea, I found daddy,” Namjoo replied.

“I talk?”

“Daddy’s not here right now. Next time, ok?” Namjoo promised. “I have to go now. Be a good girl, ok? Mommy misses you.”

“Me too!”

Namjoo smiled and sent a few kisses into the phone before finally hanging up feeling like a piece of her heart was missing. She also wanted to go back home. She missed Mi Yun and the calmness of the environment she knew so well.

“Everything go well?” Sungjae stood up from the bench when she approached.  

“Yea,” she nodded. “Just homesick.”

He shot her a warm smile, “It’ll get better after a few days. Hang in there.” Twisting his wrist to glance at his watch he offered, “Have you had breakfast? Should we get something to eat? It’s on me.”

She smiled at his kindness and deciding to take advantage of the offer, agreed.

#####

Luhan hesitated about whether to buy breakfast or to wait for Namjoo. After a few minutes of pondering, he decided to wait for her. While waiting for her return he paced around the room bored and stood by the window overlooking the street. A long hour passed by before he saw a car pull up to the front of the building.

Namjoo stepped out of the passenger’s seat and he saw someone else step out of the car. Tilting his head to get a better view of the picture he narrowed his eyes upon recognizing the man. He watched them trade a few words before Namjoo waved and watched him get back in the car to drive off.

“So you went to see him,” Luhan muttered with a snort.

He turned to look at the door when Namjoo knocked. For a few seconds he thought to leave her locked out. Then on another thought, he was still hungry.

Grabbing his wallet off the table he started for the door and opened it. Namjoo took a step back in surprise when he stepped out.

“Where are you going?” Namjoo questioned when she reached to feel that the door was locked.

“Breakfast.”

“Then let me in.” She called out after him.

Luhan bit onto his tongue as he halted before continuing, “Why should I?”

Without waiting for her he started down the stairs and out the door. He crossed the street irritated with unhappy thoughts and suddenly came to a stop. Twisting around he glanced back to see that Namjoo wasn’t behind him as he’d expected. Just what kind of game was she trying to pull?

Heaving an unsatisfied groan he took a step forward to walk toward the ghostly hotel to find her, but was unable to when someone yanked him back. His back hit the wall of the building before a bearded man appeared in front of him.

“Quietly come with me,” he whispered.